Municipal Court

Please allow a minimum of 72 hours from the date of issuance for your citation to be processed. If you are unable to access your citation(s) online after such time, please contact the court.

Payable citations payments may be made on-line at any time 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additional fees will apply when making on-line payments. You can use our online payment website to see if your ticket can be paid and resolved without a court appearance or you can call (912) 963-2778.

All moving violations may be reduced to a non-reporting offense to avoid points being put on your license by the department of driver services. Please contact the court prior to paying your citation to make the changes to your offense.

Citation payments must be paid on or before your scheduled court date and time. If you are unable to pay your citation online or in person, you must appear in court on your scheduled court date and time as indicated on your citation. If you have missed your court date, you are now in failure to appear status; therefore you would need to contact the court.

Accepted forms of payment include: credit card, debit card, money order cashier check or cash (in person only).

Note: Additional fees will apply to payments made with debit and/or credit card payments.

No personal checks or over the phone payments are accepted.

If you have been issued a citation and have questions concerning point violations and/or license suspensions, please contact the Department of Driver Services at dds.georgia.gov or 678-413-8400.

Your court date is written on your ticket in section IV.

Most citations can be paid before court. There are some violations that require a court appearance such as dui, reckless driving, driving while license or registration is suspended, no insurance, and excessive speeding, etc. You can use our online payment website to see if your ticket can be paid and resolved without a court appearance or you can call (912) 963-2778.

In some instances it is possible to change your court date. You may come into the office during normal business hours, call or email to request a new court date.

Please email court@gardencity-ga.gov for any requests.

You can also mail a letter stating why you cannot make your court appearance, and ask for a new court date. Submit your letter to the Clerk of Court at the Municipal Court of the City of Garden City, 100 Central Avenue, Garden City, GA 31405. Please keep in mind, that the court is not obligated to grant your new court date request. It is your responsibility to contact the clerk's office to find out if your request for a new court date has been granted.

A public defender is available for all defendants in our municipal court. The public defender will be present on your court date for any questions regarding your case. Please remember that our court staff cannot answer legal questions, nor give you legal advice regarding what to do with your case. If you need legal advice, please consult with an attorney of your choice or the public defender provided by our court.

You should plan to arrive early for your case to compensate for any unexpected delays. Once you arrive in court, you will pass through a mandatory security check before being allowed to enter. Turn off your phone and other electronic devices. Remain attentive and do not disturb court proceedings.

The court provides a certified Spanish interpreter for every court docket.

If you enter a guilty plea or a nolo contendere plea you will be required to satisfy the ruling of the court. This may include paying a fine, payable by cash, debit, or credit card. If you cannot pay your fine the Judge may place you on probation to give you time to pay the fine. If you plead not guilty, you will be given a trial court date when the officer will be present. If you request a jury trial, your case will be turned over to Chatham County State Court. If found not guilty after trial your case is closed.

Sentencing for certain violations and local ordinance violations may include a term of probation and other special conditions as ordered by the Court. Probationers report to:

Professional Probation Services
2821 River Drive (Inside Thunderbolt City Hall)
Thunderbolt, GA, 31303
For questions, call 912-344-4270